The duo enjoys a late lunch together Feb. 13 at Panda Express in South Dallas.

Photo by ROSE BACA

Masek and Jordan react after losing a color roulette game Feb. 20 at Ellen’s Amusement Center in Cedar Hill. Almost five years ago, the pair was matched through Big Brothers Big Sisters. In January, Masek was named Big Brother of the Year for Dallas County.

It’s been almost five years since they met at Jordan’s DeSoto home after being matched through Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Their first weekly outing was a bike ride through the neighborhood.

Jordan — the “little” — was a scrawny 11-year-old with large metal glasses.

Masek, 26 at the time, just wanted to make a difference.

“For me, when I first joined the program, I knew I wanted to teach my little something,” said Masek, now 30, who lives in Dallas’ Uptown area. “I wanted to be a part of his life. I wanted to make an impact.”

In January, Masek was named Big Brother of the Year for Dallas County.

But it was a match that took about a year to come to fruition.

That’s not uncommon. According to Big Brothers Big Sisters, more than 2,000 Dallas-area children as of last year were waiting to be matched. Most on the list wait an average of five months, the organization says.

Masek is a law student at Texas A&M University School of Law in Fort Worth. An Air Force flight medic, he completed his second six-month deployment to the Middle East last summer.

Jordan, a 15-year-old student at Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, is a computer-game buff skilled at the electric guitar. He dreams of producing his own music someday.

Though their interests don’t always collide, they’re a perfect match, say those who know them.

“It started out as ‘Hey, I want someone to hang out with me,’” said Jordan, who has lived with his grandmother since he was 4. His mom has been in and out of rehab for drugs. His dad lives less than 10 miles away, but he rarely sees or hears from him.

“Now, [Matthew] is someone I can look to for help and someone I can look up to. It’s more than, ‘Hey, want to play Hot Wheels or something?’” he said.

It was Masek who was there at the bathroom sink with a toy razor and a can of shaving cream when Jordan began to grow facial hair.

It was Masek who ventured with Jordan to the nearby woods to teach survival skills, such as how to build a structure and identify insects.

It was Masek who challenged Jordan to turn his average grades into ones worthy of the honor roll.

And it was Masek who taught Jordan why and how to figure a restaurant tip.

It’s a skill that’s come in handy during their weekly Thursday lunches, which are usually followed by a trip to Ellen’s Amusement Center in Cedar Hill to play video games or mini golf.

“They also have batting cages. But we don’t really do that. [Jordan’s] not very athletic,” said Masek, laughing, during a recent lunch at Panda Express.

“Here, have some chow mein,” Masek said to Jordan, as he scooped a helping onto a spare plate.

Things, however, weren’t always so regular.

Four months after being matched, Masek received word that he would be deployed for six months to Iraq. At that time, Jordan had the option to be rematched with a different “big.”

“He told them, ‘If I can’t be matched with Matthew, I don’t want to be a part of the program.’ That’s when I realized that it had made that big of an impact even in those four months,’” said Masek, who was deployed a second time to Afghanistan in January 2013.

While overseas, Masek sent Jordan postcards — such as one of Afghanistan’s Poo Pond, a liquid pit for human waste at Kandahar Airfield — documenting his service. About twice a month, they video chatted online.

“You should have seen the box of candy he had,” Jordan said, recalling a particular conversation on Skype. “[Matthew] said something like, ‘I’m living the life of luxury,’ and he turned the camera over to all this candy and soda he had. I was like, ‘Wow.’”

The day after Masek returned home from his first deployment, Jordan was one of his first visits, said Jimmie Kennedy, Jordan’s grandmother.

“They’ve kept a lasting connection even though they were apart. Matthew stuck around, and not a lot of people have,” Kennedy said.

Despite Masek’s time overseas, Kennedy said, he’s one of the few constants in Jordan’s life.

There’s a stack of birthday cards as a reminder and even an invitation to Masek’s outdoor wedding in September 2010, where he introduced Jordan to family and friends as his little brother.

“Kids just need someone to be there and teach them stuff, and tell them what life’s about from a guy’s perspective,” Masek said.